A House is Not a

Home T
he Stranger The stranger lives a mile away from the teenager. She is very helpful as she takes
Chapter Sketch care of his pet cat, finds out the details of owner of cat from phone no, on cars collar.
The story 'A House is Not a
Home' is about a teenager who
joins a new school. He misses his by Zan Gaudioso
old friends, teachers and old
school. His house gets destroyed
in a fire and he loses all his
belongings and his pet cat. His
fellow students in the new school
help him by gifting him study
Summary of the Chapter
material and clothes. This act of Teenager Joins A New School
kindness touches him and he
makes friends with them. The teenager joins a new high school. He finds it strange and awkward as his
One day, while he was closest friends are in a different school. He misses his old friends and
overlooking the construction of teachers
his new house, a lady comes and and goes to meet his old teachers regularly.
gives him his missing cat. He is
overioyed to get his pet cat back
and suddenly all his feelings of
tragedy and insecurity go away.
Teenager's House Catches Fire
One day, while the teenager is doing his home work, his house catches fire.
He and his mother run outside the house. He goes to his neighbours to call
About the the fire brigade while his mother rushes inside to get some important
documents and the pictures of his father. He is terrified on seeing his mother
Characters go inside the burning house and in the process of saving his mother, forgets
The Teenager The teenager is a
about his pet cat.
high school student. He loins a
new school and misses his old
school, teachers and friends. They Shift to His Grandparent's House
The Pet Cat The pet cat is very After five hours, the firemen are successful in extinguishing the fire. The
dear to the teenager. She is a red teenager suddenly realises that his pet cat is missing. He searches it
coloured cat.
everywhere but is unable to
find it. He cries for the loss
of his cat. He and his
mother shift to his
grandparents' home as their
house has been completely
destroyed by the fire.

Teenager Goes to
School
The next day, the teenager
goes to school. His clothes
look weird and he does not
have any books or school
bag as everything was
destroyed in the fire. He
feels strange going like this
to the school and wants to
die as his old school, his
friends, his house and his
pet cat have been taken
away from him.

Teenager Revisits
the House
After school, the teenager
revisits his house and finds
that the damage due to the
fire is huge. His heart
misses his cat and he is
unable to find it. He visits
the house every now and
then in the hope of finding
his cat. But, it seems to be
nowhere.
 1 HOIJse is not A Home (Section C)

NCERT FOLDER
(Here we have covered questions given in the NCERT textbook along with their
answers.)

Think Aboutlt (Page 54) 3 Why is the author deeply embarrassed

the next day in school? Which words
1 What does the author notice one show his fear and insecurity?
Sunday afternoon? What is his Ins• The author was deeply embarrassed the next day
mother's reaction? What does she in school as his clothes looked weird, he had no
do? books or homework and his backpack was
Ans. The author noticed smoke coming destroyed in the fire. The words 'outcast', 'geek'
through the seams of the ceiling of his and 'zombie' show his fear and insecurity.
house on a Sunday afternoon. He and
4 The cat and the author are very fond of
his mother came out of the house. His
each other. How has this been shown in
mother ran back ino the house to fetch
the story? Where was the cat after the
the important documents and
fire? Who brings it back and how?
photographs of his father. AllS
• The author missed the cat badly when she got
lost. Many times he would go to his damaged
2 Why did he break down in tears
house to search for it. He would also remember
after the fire? the time he spent with the cat. The cat used to
Ans• He broke down in tears after the fire as climb on him and crawl into his pocket to sleep
he was unable to find his pet cat. He when it was a kitten. She would also follow
thought that he had suffered a big loss as him. All this shows that the author and the cat
he had joined a new school, his house were very fond of each other. The cat was
got burned and now his pet cat was terrified when the author's house caught fire.
missing. She ran over a mile away. A lady brought the
cat back by holding it in her arms.
 5 What actions of the schoolmates This incident made the author think for the
change the author's understanding of first time that things are going to be okay in
life and people, and comfort him the future. It made his loneliness vanish and
emotionally? How does his loneliness led him to make new friends.
vanish and how does he start
participating in life? 6 What is the meaning of "My cat was back
Ans. The author's schoolmates gave him school and so was l"? Had the author gone
supplies, notebooks and clothes as his anywhere? Why does he say that he is also
house had been completely destroyed by back?
the fire. They also introduced themselves Ans
• "My cat was back and so was I" means that the
to him and invited him to their house. All author is back to normal after finding his cat.
these things comforted the author
No, the author had not gone anywhere.
emotionally.

Exam
Practice
Extract Based Questions [4 Marks
each)
Read the following extracts carefully and choose the correct option
I
I missed my old teachers so much (d) Author's mother's school
that I would go back and visit (iii) Find a word from the extract
them. They would encourage me which means •persuade someone
to get involved in school to do something by giving
activities so that I could meet support and advice'
new people.
(i) Why would the author visit (a) Discourage (b) Hamper
them? (a) Because he (c) Involve (d) Encourage (iv)
wanted to hurt them VThat is the opposite of
(b) Because he had lost his cat
'encourage'?
(c) Because he missed them
(a) Invite
(d) Because he wanted to invite (b) Hearten
them to his home (c) Dishearten
(ii) Which •school' is referred in (d) Animate
the extract? Ans. (i) (c) Because he missed
(a) Author's old school them (ii) (b) Author's
(b) Author's new school new school
(c) Author's friend's school (iii) (d) Encourage
 (iv) (c) Dishearten was not different. Everyone in
2
high school, including the
| was about to run after her teachers, was aware of my plight. I
when I felt a large hand hold me was embarrassed as if somehow I
back. It was a fireman. I hadn't were responsible.
(i) Which 'bad news' is referred in
even noticed that the street had
the extract?
already filled with fire trucks. (a) The news of the author's mother
(i) Who is 'her' in the above extract? getting trapped in the fire
(a) Author's sister (b) The news of the author's belongings getting
lost in the fire
(b) Author's cat
(c) The news of the author's house
(c) Author's mother getting destroyed in the fire
(d) Author's grandmother (d) The
news of the author's cat
(ii) Why was the author about to run getting trapped in the fire
after 'her'? (ii) What was the author's plight?
(a) As she was about to commit (a) He lost his mother in the fire
suicide (b) He lost all his belongings in
(b) As she was leaving forever the fire
(c) As she was unable to walk (c) He lost his pet cat in the fire
properly (d) Both (b) and (c)
(d) As she had gone inside the burning (iii) Which part of speech does the
house word 'quickly' belong to?
(iii) Find a word from the extract that (a) Adjective (b) Pronoun
means 'seen'
(c) Adverb (d) Noun
(a) Noticed (b) Witnessed
(c) filled (d) Hold (iv) in the extract is the opposite
(iv) Which part of speech is 'already'? of
'excluding'
(a) Adjective (b) Adverb
(a) Inclusive
(c) Noun (d) Pronoun
(b) Comprising
Ans. (i) (c) Author's mother (c) Aware
(ii) (d) As she had gone inside the (d) Including
burning house
(iii) (a) Noticed Ans. (i) (c) The news of the author's house
(iv) (b) Adverb getting destroyed in the fire
(ii) (d) Both (b) and (c)
3
It always seems that bad news
(iii) (c) Adverb
spreads quickly, and in my case it
(iv) (d) Induding
Ile we sat there on the curb, planning new bedroom, I
heard someone walk
(iv) (a) A raised edge along the
side of a street

Short Answer (SA) Type Questions Marks

[2

5
Why was the author 's first year of high school Why did the author get
attention in his new awkward?
 school? Why didn't he like

to me from behind and (c) As his cat had returned

say, "Does this ong to after disappearing for a month
you?" When I turned to (d) As his mother had returned
see who vast I couldn't (iii) Give the opposite of the
believe my eyes, word 'behind'. (a) Above
Who are 'we' in the extract?
(a) Author and his cat (b) Ahead
(c) Below
(b) Author and his mother
(iv) What does 'curb' mean?
(c) Author and his two old (d) Across
friends
(d) Author and his two new friends (a) A raised edge along the side of a
street
[i) Why was the author unable to believe
(b) To control or limit
his eyes?
something
(a) As his dog had returned after
disappearing for a month
(c) To make a plan (d) To fail

(b) Aas his cat had returned after Ans. (i) (d) Author and his two new
disappearing for a year friends
(ii) (c) As his cat had returned
after disappearing for
a month
(iii) (b) Ahead
it ?
The first year of the author's high school was Ans • The author got a lot
of attention in his new school awkward as he had joined a new school and
his old as everyone, including the teachers, came to know friends were in
a different school. Apart from this, that his house had been completely
destroyed in the his house was destroyed in a fire and he lost his fire.
He didn't like it as he thought that somehow he belongings and his pet
cat. Nothing was going well was responsible for the fire.
6
for him at all. Describe the author's pet cat. When was she 2
What were the author and his cat doing when rescued?
the fire broke out? Alts
• The author's pet cat was a red tabby cat. It was
The author was sitting on his rescued by the author when she was
dining table doing his homework a kitten and somehow she knew that
when the fire broke out. His cat the author was responsible for
was lying on top of his papers, giving her a good life. The cat
purring loudly and playing with was loved by the author very much.
his pen. When he smelled 7 What was the author doing when he got
something strange and noticed his cat back? Who was with him?
smoke coming out through the Ans• The author was watching his
seams of the ceiling. house being rebuilt and planning
his new bedroom when he got his
3 cat back.
What two things were rescued by
the author's mother and why?
 The author's rescued a metal
mother small box His two friends from his new
and his father's pictures and school were also with him when a
letters. The metal box was lady approached him with his pet
rescued as it contained important cat and asked if the cat belonged
documents and the pictures and to him.
letters were rescued as they were
a token of remembrance of his 8 Whom all did the author feel
father who had died when he was grateful to after getting his
small.
The author said these words when was his cat whom he loved very
cat?
he had to go to school after his much. He was grateful for
4 house
il just
was wanted
destroyedtobycurl
fire.up
He and everything now and very happy as
Ans. After getting his cat, the author
die'.
said this as all his belongings the
When and why did his cat was back.
felt grateful to his life, his
author
had beensay these words?
destroyed new friends, the kindness of the
stranger and his beloved pet cat.
He was back to the life and so

and he had to go
to school wearing
borrowed shoes
and without a bag
and homework.
428 Allínonc English Language and Literature Class 9th

Long Answer (IA) Type Questions[8 Marks each)

Compare and contrast the The author felt very lonely as his
author's life before and after closest friends were sent to a
the fire incident. The author different high school. He used to
was leading a pcaccful life miss his old school, teachers and
bcforc the fire broke out in his friends and
house. He was a bit disappointed went to meet his teachers
for he was missing his old regularly. After the fire incident,
school, friends and teachers. He the author was completely
trying to be normal with even- devastated. The loss of all his
thing in his life. At this very belongings and his pet cat added to
moment, the fire broke out in the the misery ofjoining a new school.
house. Before the fire had broken He felt no inclination to go to his
out in his house, the author had new school and at one point of time
joined a new high school. It felt wanted to die. He missed his pet
strange to him starting all over cat very much and used to go to the
as a fresher.
 place where his house once borrow shoes from his aunt in order
stood to search for her. to attend the school.
2 Describe the hardships faced by the He feels like an oddball going to
author and his family in the story A the school like this and at one
House is not a Home'
point of time he wants to die. He
Ans. Hardships are the part of also misses his pet cat badly and
the life. One can't avoid it goes to search her every now and
if it is destined. You can then.
overcome it only with
perseverance and
3 Justify the title of the
determination. If you lose
courage then the situation
story A House is not a
will get worsened only and it Home'
will improve only with your Ans. The title 'A House in not a Home'
stead fastness. The author is apt in relation to the story. In
and his family faced a lot of the story, the author's house gets
hardships in the story 'A completely destroyed in a fire. Due
to this, he and his mother had to
take refuge at his grandparents'
home and later in a rented
apartment. The places where the
author lived after the fire incident
cannot be called a home. A home is
the place where one gets comfort,
coziness and the joy of longings.
One can find the true happiness and
comfort within the premises of home.
On the other hand, a house is
without these sentiments and
emotions. House is just a confined
House is not a Home'. The place made-up of the four walls. It
author's house was completely can never be a match to a home.
destroyed in the fire.
They were merely places where he
As a result, he lost all his
took shelter. A home is where one
belongings and his pet cat
has comfort, security and freedom
and he and his mother had to
take refuge at his of doing whatever one wishes to.
grandparents' home. His Moreover, these places were without
mother had to borrow money the belongings and things which the
from his grandparents as her author loved.
money, credit cards and As one has a sense of belonging to
identification proofs are
his home, it cannot be fulfilled by
lost in the fire.
The author had to face a lot a place where one takes temporary
of mental trauma as he had to shelter.
go to school without his Hence, the title of the story 'A
school bag, notebooks and House is Not a Home' is justified
homework. He even had to

Self Assessment
 Extract Based Question
Read the following extract carefully and choose the correct option.
I The next day at school, people were acting even more strange than usual. I was getting ready for gym
class at my locker. People were milling around me, asking me to hurry up.
(i) Who are the 'people' mentioned in the extract?
(a) The principal (b) The teachers (c) The students
(d) The clerks (ii) Why were they asking him to hurry up?
(a) To gift him things they had brought for him (b) To teach him a
lesson (c) To speak to him (d) To go to his house (iii) Find a word
from the extract that means the same as unusual.
(a) Strange (b) Odd
(c) Milling (d) Uneven (iv) What is the opposite of 'strange'?
(a) Usual (b) Necessary
(c) Even (d) Odd

Short Answer (SA) Type Questions

2 What did the tea chers advise the author?
3 How did the firemen help the author and his mother?
4 Describe an incident from the story which shows that the author is kind towards animals.
5 Describe the author's first day in school after the fire destroyed his house.
6 How were the author's father's photographs saved? Why were they saved?

Long Answer (LA) Type Questions

7 What all disturbed the author in the story 'A House is not a Home'? How did he come to a state
of normalcy?
8 Describe the author's attachment to his pet cat in your own words based on the story 'A House
is not a Home'.